Christmas Lights

Christmas Lights in Portland, Maine With the Eastland Hotel in Background

The colorful lights have been up for a couple of weeks now. They are located on buildings and trees all around the downtown area of the city. The ones that hang from the trees by the skating rink in the city park are especially cool to look at during the night. They hang from the branches and to someone, who is sober, they look like Japanese lanterns. To some one, who is under the influence of the holiday spirits, they must look like a fleet of flying saucers.

The ones pictured here are hung from lampposts right in Congress Square, just across the street from the Portland Museum of Art. In the background is the Eastland Hotel. As we are quickly approaching the shortest day of the year, their colorful presence is most welcome. Living where the sun sets at four o'clock in the afternoon takes some getting use to, but once that is done the winter season can be the most fun of all. These long winter nights were just made for partying long into the winter night. Nothing is more enjoyable than a long walk outside on a crystal clear night when the stars seem so much closer to the earth. (Actually they are farther away and even so the change is unnoticeable.) Happy holidays everyone.